As I previously posted on the East Coast and the excellent year they’ve been having, let us not forget about their tanned and funky counterparts over on the Left.

Now, although perhaps they haven’t had as successful a run this past little while, don’t let that fool you into thinking they’re not loaded with game changers.

CROOKED I

Slaughterhouse representative. Dr. Dre approved. And one of the torchbearers for the New West. If you’ve never heard Crooked I spit, then you probably don’t listen to much rap.

Likened to a West Coast Pharoahe Monch, Crook’s versatile cadences and cutthroat wordplay made him an obvious candidate to join supergroup, Slaughterhouse. But even more importantly, he’s one of only a handful of west coast spitters that have managed to stay relevant even when the Hip-Hop spotlight has been buried deep in the south. Now, set to release a brand new mixtape as well as the launch of his new label, Dynasty Entertainment, Crook’s poised to keep his position and keep the West up.

When the Souls of Mischief recorded 93 ’til infinity, I doubt there was any way they could’ve anticipated that in fact this prophetic song would actually live up to it’s over ambitious claims.

Now, 16 years later, I still manage to hear this song damn near every hip-hop event I go to and can’t help but love it. And well, them, as well as the entire Hieroglyphics crew are still going strong and making music strictly for the heads. Sure their popularity has died off a bit and most kids nowadays think they’re, at best, a one-hit wonder, but at the end of the day, skills is skills and they’ve got skills like a muh’.

Prepping to release their first official group album since 2000’s Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution, the Souls have enlisted the help of hip-hop innovator, 1/7 of Stetsasonic, and the man honorably known as Plug Four, Prince Paul. If you don’t know either him or Hiero, I suggest you get familiar. Now.